Underage Drinking and Advertising

By the time an average teenager in the United States reaches driving age, he or she will have seen 75,000 ads for alcohol in their short lives. This has lead to a number of laws restricting the presence of ads for alcohol near schools and laws concerning the placement of liquor stores and their proximity to schools.

Despite these efforts, teen drinking is still an epidemic. In the month prior to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 10 million people between the ages of 12 and 20 reported drinking alcohol. Of the 10 million teens, 7 million were binge drinkers and another 2 million were heavy drinkers.

In addition to the binge drinkers, the average age of first alcohol use is 13. In 1999, 52% of 8th graders and 80% of high school seniors reported drinking alcohol. 31% of the 12th graders surveyed reported heavy drinking in the previous two weeks. This is clearly not a problem of just college freshmen and sophomores.

While many feel that it is not a problem, studies show that youth who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times as likely to develop alcoholism at some point in their lives as those who begin drinking at 21.

Much of this drinking has been linked to alcohol advertising being shown to children, which portrays drinking as the “cool” thing to do.

Contact a Dallas MIP Defense Lawyer

If you or your child has been charged with minor in possession or another underage alcohol charge, contact the Dallas MIP defense lawyers of the Law Office of Mark T. Lassiter at (214) 845-7007.

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